incident

UK: /ˈɪnsɪdənt/ US: /ˈɪnsɪdənt/ ,(in′si dənt)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

in•ci•dent /ˈɪnsɪdənt/   n. 

[countable]
1. an occurrence or event:
   an unpleasant incident at the office.
2. Government a minor event leading to serious consequences:
   a minor border incident that erupted into a war.

adj. 

3. likely to happen, often as a side effect:
   hazards incident to the job.
4. falling or striking on something, such as light rays do.

See -cide-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

in•ci•dent  (in′si dənt), n. 

1. an individual occurrence or event.
2. a distinct piece of action, or an episode, as in a story or play.
3. something that occurs casually in connection with something else.
4. something appertaining or attaching to something else.
5. Government an occurrence of seemingly minor importance, esp. involving nations or factions between which relations are strained and sensitive, that can lead to serious consequences, as an outbreak of hostilities or a war:
   border incident; international incident.
6. an embarrassing occurrence, esp. of a social nature.

adj. 

7. likely or apt to happen (usually fol. by to).
8. naturally appertaining:
   hardships incident to the life of an explorer.
9. conjoined or attaching, esp. as subordinate to a principal thing.
10. falling or striking on something, as light rays.

• Medieval Latin incident- (stem of incidēns a happening, noun, nominal use of present participle of Latin incidere to befall), equivalent. to Latin in- in-² + -cid- (combining form of cad- fall) + -ent- -ent; compare cadence
• Middle French
• late Middle English 1375–1425

in′ci•dent•less, adj. 
Synonyms

• 1. happening. See event. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

incident / ˈɪnsɪdənt/ noun

1. a distinct or definite occurrence; event
2. a minor, subsidiary, or related event or action
3. a relatively insignificant event that might have serious consequences, esp in international politics
4. a public disturbance
5. the occurrence of something interesting or exciting: the trip was not without incident

adjective

1. (postpositive) followed by to: related (to) or dependent (on)
2. when postpositive, often followed by to: having a subsidiary or minor relationship (with)
3. (esp of a beam of light or particles) arriving at or striking a surface

Etymology: 15th Century: from Medieval Latin incidens an event, from Latin incidere, literally: to fall into, hence befall, happen, from in-² + cadere to fall